• Secretaries of the Interior are in charge of a number of geologic and environmental agencies.us capitol image by Ritu Jethani from Fotolia.com
  
  The Secretary of the Interior position is one of 15 cabinet positions. The Interior Department is well over 159 years old, and has been led by 50 different Secretaries of the Interior. Those who hold this position have traditionally focused their oversight on three main areas pertaining to the nation's internal affairs.
  
  

Protecting Natural Resources and Heritage

• The Secretary of the Interior oversees the National Park Service, an agency with over 20,000 employees, which is in charge of the maintenance of 58 national parks, various national monuments and certain historical properties. Additionally, the Secretary of the Interior oversees matters pertaining to the development of new national parks, the protection of wildlife habitats and wetlands and the regulation of mining practices.
  
  

U.S. Geologic Survey

• The Secretary of the Interior also oversees the U.S. Geologic Survey, a non-regulatory agency that is primarily known for being one of the major domestic mapping organizations. The Geologic Survey is engaged in much more than cartography, however, and is actually composed of four sub-departments, each specializing in issues pertaining to not only geography, but biology, geology, and hydrology. The additional activities with which the Geologic Survey is engaged includes the study of natural hazards, the studying of streams, and the monitoring of earthquake activity and magnetic fields.
  
  

Cultural and Tribal Issues

• Persons serving as Secretary of the Interior are expected to maintain and improve upon the U.S. government's relations with the Native American population, specifically with federally recognized tribes. This responsibility entails aiding the tribes in becoming sovereign and self-reliant, through school and housing upgrades, employment opportunities, property protection, law enforcement, and the development of alternative-energy resources. Additionally, the Secretary of the Interior is ultimately responsible for the resolution of outstanding legal issues involving infringements upon Native American tribes.